Most Wanted Features (Thread Ages like Wine)
by ImKershaOriginal Post
Hello, Simmers! So, The Sims 4 has been there for us for over 6 years. We've gotten a lot of amazing stuff both in packs and free updates, but surely, there are some things we'd love to improve or get. I decided to create this thread so that we can share our most wanted features. I'll divide my post in two parts - features I want to improve and features I want to get.
Just to clarify: This is just me sharing my opinion. I don't expect The Sims Team to improve/add any of the mentioned features. I realize that they have the upcoming years planned in advance. I just want to have a nice conversation with you, folks! 
Features I want to improve:
Wants and Fears. Previously, this was a request for the whim update, but since it did eventually happen and we got Wants and Fears, I'd like to point out the main thing that would improve them drastically - make them cross-pack compatible. Yes, there are a couple of wants that show up only when Sims have certain packs (e.g. there's a want to chase a bird flock, a want to leave a note on the bulletin board), however, there's so few of them, and most of them aren't in-depth enough to even consider them worthy. We need wants for each pack-exclusive trait and aspiration, we need wants for childhood phases from Parenthood. There's so much that can be done, and imo Wants and Fears deserve better. I'm sure The Sims team is capable of doing them justice!
Pets. Please, make them selectable/playable. At least through a cheat. Modders confirmed that they were supposed to be playable but the option to select them was removed for some reason. Luckily, modders easily re-enabled that option, but not everyone plays with mods or has access to them (console players, for example).
Holiday Traditions. This one is simple - I'd love to get more holiday traditions related to packs released after Seasons EP. It'd also be cool if they made the toggle "Day off school/work" separate - this way we'd be able to create summer holidays when our children don't have school, but adults do have work.
Features I want to get:
Career history. I really want to be able to see the career history of my sim when they change a job or retire - similar to how it was in The Sims 3.
Color wheel for eyes and hair. The options that we currently have in game are very limited and do not offer the freedom we need to create truly unique sims / recreate ourselves in game.
Better representation:
Disabilities.
Other:
Burglars. Cemeteries. Grocery stores.
Features that used to be part of this post but now are officially in game:
• Better traits - updated on 03.23.21
• Preferences - added on 05.27.21
• More culturally diverse hairstyles in base game - added through multiple patches
• Pond tool - added on 07.20.21
• Story Progression (in The Sims 4 - Neighborhood Stories) - added on 03.15.2022
• Pronouns - added on 05.24.2022
• Whim Overhaul - replaced with Wants and Fears on 07.26.2022
• Body hair - added on 07.26.2022
• Open schools - added on 07.28.2022
• Better babies - improved newborns + introduced infants on 03.14.2023
• Milestones - added on 16.03.2023
I love these! In reference to the Lilsimsie video and traits, I think that is the one where she mentions that vegetarianism shouldn't be a trait and I agree! It should be some other food preference option in CAS and not take up a trait slot 
I would also like it if the Sims team figured out a way to implement all of the new emotional aspects of the game so that they aren't always negative. Sims can't do anything if they are very sad, very tense, or terrified 24/7 over literally everything.
In addition to my main post, I want to publish this as well. It's a pack suggestion from an old survey dated back to February, 2017. It's been 4 years so I don't think it will ever be released, but damn, this idea is amazing and it sounds like a dream pack to me!
@ImKersha Thank you for making this list. I've clocked "me too" for your poat since you habe mentioned all the things that I personally also find lacking in the game at the moment.
I really miss memories as they were in TS2. I have never taken a screenshot on purpose except for bug report forums. So my sims "memories" are either a mess (read: mistake, accidentally hit the "c" button) or nonexistent. I would love my sims to automatically remember say their 1st day at school/work, getting engaged/married or having children, at least!
Also, though I am super grateful for all the new emotional/personality affecting content (eg. Lifestyles etc), what you have brought up is true: I still feel there isn't enough traits OR aspirations, especially for child sims.
After the major update with graphics I also feel the hair colors do not match up with the new makeup/skin features. I wish we would have at least a few new natural hair colors (I currently only use the black, browns and 1 blond hair color along with the grey(ish) options). Personally the eye colors at this time are sufficient for me.
The only thing I don't want from your list are playable pets, I've grown to like them the way they are now, though at first it was a no-no for me too.
Anyways, cheers for the list. Let's hope we'll see at least some of it coming true!
@adduapina Thank you so much for your feedback! Regarding pets, I totally understand you 😄 Basically, I have two reasons why I want pets to be playable:
1. While my sims are at school / work, I have to just stare at the screen till they’re back, so I’d love to be able to control a pet while its owners are away. This way I could pass the time
2. Pets are quite disobedient. I just want to be able to cancel their “drink from a puddle”, “scratch the coach” and other unwanted interactions 😁
The thing is The Sims 4 is like a sandbox. Maxis said they wanted to give players full control, but when it comes to pets, we don’t have any control.
Another thing I want to mention: it's quite odd that sims are stressed when there's fire. Fire is an extremely dreadful phenomenon, so I believe that being terrified of it is the way to go. There's a mod by PlayStar201 that changes that, but I wish it was a base game feature.
I have an idea on how it could work if it's ever patched in: while the fire is up, sims are scared/terrified, but after it's put out, they feel tense.
The stressed versus terrified for a fired should depend on how bad the fire was and if the sim caught on fire - and maybe the age of the Sim. I can understand children and toddlers being terrified, but adults would be more stressed by a small, minor fire. I also wouldn't want my Sim scared for 24 hours after a fire has been put out. I definitely don't get terrified by minor fires, but I'm accident prone so maybe not the best person to give that sort of input 
Another thing I was thinking about is allowing Sims to age with more grace and dignity, especially if you had them take really good care of themselves throughout their life. I really dislike that once a Sim reaches elder, they are automatically a caricature of the things we associate with being older. There is a lot more variety in how we can make younger Sims look, but elders Sims just all have the same template and you can't really do much about it. Life choices should have more of an impact on whether or not your elder Sim will have poor posture and extreme back problems, for example.
Hello again, Simmers! I have to say that this thread is slowly but surely aging like wine because we have gotten a few features mentioned in it, namely trait improvements and more culturally diverse hairstyles. I'm actually pleasantly surprised by the previous patch and its content, but I hope The Sims Team doesn't stop there and keep improving base game because there's a lot of room for improvement.
Meanwhile, I'll be manifesting Story Progression. It was mentioned as a potential feature in one of the surveys provided by EA, so let's hope it's being considered by the developers
